After the Rebellion
by amyfan4ever
Summary: Once the Greyjoy rebellion was crushed, Lord Eddard Stark returned to Winterfell with his new ward, Theon Greyjoy. A short story from Theon's POV about his perspective of this event.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello friends!**

 **Man, I haven't written fanfic in almost six years. I'm still writing, but it's my own original work. However; a few days ago, I was reading A Storm of Swords and a tiny idea came to mind, so I decided to write it out.**

 **This takes place directly after The Greyjoy Rebellion. I'm going off the show's timeline, because in the book, Theon is five years older than Robb/Jon. In the show, he's only one year older.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Like always, I don't own anything. All belongs to HBO and George RR Martin.**

Theon Greyjoy stood on deck of the ship and watched as the castle of Pyke, his home and everything he knew, slowly disappeared.

Around him, no one seemed to notice the child. But that was to be expected; these were Greenlanders, _wolves_ to be exact.

For the last several months, the Ironborn had been fighting against these strange people. The battles had raged on outside the castle of Pyke, until it had finally broken through the walls. After they had killed Theon's older brothers, his father had been forced to surrender and kneel in front of their enemies.

And then, they demanded Theon be ripped away from his home and return with one of them to his home to live. He hadn't wanted to go, but _no one_ has listened to what he wanted.

Now, Theon stood shivering on the deck of this ship. It was early spring and hints of winter still hung in the air. But still, he didn't want to go below deck while he could still see his home in the distance.

He didn't want any of these wolves to see how scared he actually was.

Maron and Rodrick, his older brothers, had told him what wolves do to strays boys they find. _Especially_ ones who show fear.

Theon knew at age eight, he was almost a man grown. Besides that, he was a Greyjoy and an ironborn. His blood was iron and salt. He was too old to be crying like a baby. But all this wasn't enough to stop the wetness that gathered behind his eyes.

When he couldn't see Pyke anymore and the cold was too much for him, Theon slowly went below the deck. Down there, rowdy men were drinking and yelling as the few women onboard walked back and forth between them. The ship rocked back and forth as the waves battered the hull, but few seemed to care.

No one paid any attention to the frightened child as he curled up in a corner and pressed his hands over his ears to block out the noise.

If he stayed quiet, maybe they'd all forgot about him. He could just stay onboard and hope that this ship would return to the Iron Islands. By the time Lord Stark figured out he was no longer with the party, it would be too late.

This is what Theon told himself as he sat alone on the deck as the ship rocked back and forth.

A few hours, he was still going over the details of his plan when a large hand shook his shoulder. Startled, Theon looked up into solemn grey eyes of his new foster father.

"What are you doing over here on the floor alone?" Lord Stark demanded. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled the boy gently to his feet. "Come, we're going to be reaching the harbor soon."

Theon had no choice, but to follow him through the sea of men.

About fifteen minutes later, Lord Stark pulled out a large cloak lined of fur and handed it to him. "Here, put this on."

Theon wrinkled his nose. It was made for a full grown man and much too large for him. "It stinks of wolves..." He protested, something he had heard Rodrick say several times.

Around him, several of the men laughed. "You'll be wanting that cloak soon enough." One of the men told him.

After the ship pulled into the harbor, Lord Stark began to disembark. Theon trotted behind him, only to be met with an icy blast of wind. To his great surprise, snowdrifts almost as tall as he was still on the ground. Now, Theon realized why they had wanted him to wear the cloak. The wind was bitterly cold and seemed to cut through him to the bone.

Hurriedly, he pulled the cloak on. "Why is there still so much snow? It's spring..."

In front of him, his foster father continued to walk. "Because the North gets hit the hardest in the winter, so it takes the longest for the snow to melt."

At the edge of the harbor, several horses were waiting. Lord Stark looked at them for a second and then down at Theon. "Is there a pony available for the boy?"

"No m'Lord," a man answered. "These horses are the only ones available."

Theon's heart leaped in his chest. This was his chance. If he couldn't go with them, then he could go back to the ship and return to his home.

To his great disappointment, Lord Stark just shook his head. "Can you ride?"

After a moment, Theon nodded a tiny bit. It wasn't a lie; he had learned to ride before, but not for long periods of time. The Island of Pyke wasn't very big and he wasn't allowed to go off riding by himself.

"Put these on, you'll be riding with me." Ned said, handing him riding leathers. Once the boy managed to get them on, Ned picked him up and swung him up on top of his massive white and brown stallion. A moment later, the man mounted behind him. When the rest of the men were ready, the horses started to trot forward.

Miserable, Theon clutched the front of the saddle. The only good thing about this was now he was warmer with his back directly against his foster father and a second cloak close around him.

Hours later, Theon felt like he wanted to die. His legs were extremely sore from riding, but no one gave any indication of stopped any time soon. The snow grew higher and the air colder the further north they went.

Lord Stark tried to talk to him a few times, but Theon only nodded when he had to. With his entire life being turned upside down, he didn't feel like speaking at the moment.

Just when he felt like he couldn't take it any longer, a shadow of a castle appeared on the horizon, a small town grouped around it. Lord Stark bent close to his ear. "That's Winterfell." He said.

Theon just stared as they came closer. It was nowhere near the sea and appeared to be just a dull and dreary as these people were. Dread filled his stomach the closer they came to it.

As the gates opened and the men rode into the courtyard, Theon stared in amazement up at the massive castle. It was much larger and older than the castle of Pyke. It looked like something that had been here for thousands of years and would be here for thousands of years after he was dead. (1)

 _Of course, Ned Stark crushed our rebellion and killed my brothers._ Theon thought as the horses slowed to a walk. _We never stood a chance against the man who lived here._ (2)

Immediately, several men came forward to take the horse's bridles. The inside of the courtyard was busy, almost like a small city lived inside the walls of the castle. Ned dismounted first and then helped Theon down.

The pain the boy had felt while riding instantly became a thousand times worse now that he was down on solid ground. It was all he could do to not collapse to the ground in agony as his legs throbbed in pain.

"Come, let's get out of the wind." Ned said and led him to a door. Inside, it was a lot warmer than Theon thought it would be. At least the massive walls managed to keep the wind and the snow out. He knelt on the ground to remove the riding leathers and massive cloak.

"Father!" A small voice rang out.

Surprised, the boy turned to see a very small girl with bright red hair running full force toward them. She wove around Theon with ease and went right into Ned Stark's arms. The Lord of Winterfell let out a laugh as he hoisted her into the air. "Sweet girl." He said, hugging the child close to him.

A second later, two boys appeared at the other end of the hall. One had dark hair, almost identical to Ned Stark, the other had the same curly auburn hair that the girl did. The two boys were much closer in age to the iron boy and like their sister, both came running as fast as they could to hug their father's legs.

All the while, Theon only stared at them and then looked around, almost if he was half expecting more children to come running out of the hiding. He watched as Ned knelt to embrace all three of them, laughing with joy.

It was odd; if Theon had ever tried to do anything like that with his father, Balon, the old man would have growled and shoved him away. The Ironborn were a hard, fierce people. And they did not lovingly hug their children where others could see them.

But to Ned Stark, he acted like this was completely normal.

Hurried footsteps came down the hall and a woman with long auburn hair and fierce blue eyes like her children appeared. She was carrying a baby, which she handed to servant and moved toward her husband.

In an instant, it was like the two of them were the only two in the room. They embraced and the Lady Stark kissed her Lord husband on his cheek. A smile spread over his face as he returned her kiss.

Sullenly, Theon watched this. Up until the moment the girl appeared, he had no idea this Lord had children or a family back home. It hasn't occurred to him that a man who could come and kill his brothers and destroy his home would have something precious of his own.

The boy with auburn hair began to tug at Lord Stark's arm. "Did you win the war, father?" he asked excitedly.

"Did you kill a lot of men with _Ice_?" The second boy asked.

Ned shook his head slightly, "We'll talk about it later." He said and looked directly toward his new foster son. "First, there's someone I want you to meet."

The entire family turned to look at Theon. The other children seemed curious and pleased to see him, but Lady Stark's look was as cold and icy as the weather outside. "That's him?" She asked, her voice soft.

"This is Theon Greyjoy. He'll be living with us from now on." Ned said. "Theon, this is my wife, Lady Catelyn Stark. And my children, Robb, Jon, Sansa, and the baby's Arya." He said, touching each of his children lightly on the head.

A look of delight came across Robb's face and he came closer to the Theon to inspect him. After a moment, Jon followed him, looking more serious and uncertain.

"How old are you?" Jon demanded.

"Eight."

The light shone in Robb's blue eyes. He looked like a smaller male version of his mother. "Jon and I are both seven."

Theon's chest puffed out a bit as he realized he was the oldest now. Quite a surprise, as he had gone from the baby of his family to being older then all of those children. "Are you two twins?"

"No." Jon said shortly.

"But…"

Some of the joy left Robb's cheerful face. "Jon's a Snow." He explained as gently as he could.

Shocked, Theon turned toward the darker haired boy. "You're a bastard?" He asked. When he didn't get a response, he continued to talk. "I've never talked to a bastard before… My father doesn't allow me to speak with them."

This statement seemed to annoy Job and fascinate Robb. "What are bastards called in the Iron Islands?"

"Pyke."

"Like the castle? Doesn't that get confusing?"

Theon only shrugged, as pain from both his empty stomach and throbbing legs seemed to take over his body. "I don't know…" He muttered, turning a desperate expression to Lord Stark in hope to be rescued from a thousand questions.

Ned seemed to understand him immediately. "That's enough boys, he's tired and saddle sore from traveling." He said, before grabbing the arm of a passing servant. "Will you take Theon up and show him his new bed chambers? Then get him fresh clothes, a tub of warm water and some supper. "

"Oh course," She said, before turning toward the boy. "Come along, little Lord."

For a moment, fear raced through Theon's heart as he realized he was about to be led away from Ned Stark and the rest of his family. He might only barely know them, but they're were better than going off with a strange woman into a castle he didn't know.

"Go with her." Ned said, nodding toward her. He leaned toward the child and put his hand on his shoulder. "Someone will come fetch you tomorrow morning, when it's time to break our fast."

Theon nodded and then slowly followed the servant up the many stairs.

To his surprise, he was taken to a comfortable, good sized bed chamber. The bed was big enough for several more people and covered in wolf skins. Several candles were lit to show a window and the great view from it. From here, a person could see down in the courtyard and across the battlements.

After a moment, several servants came in, carrying clothes, food and a tub of water. They all fussed over him, helping him into the tub and scrubbing away the salt and smell of his sea. Once that was done, they dressed him in fine, beautiful clothing. Much better quality and warmer then what he had been wearing back at home.

Theon was amazed and wondered what his father would have said if he could have seen his son now. No one, not even the Lord of the Iron Islands himself wore clothes this fine back home.

The servants left him a bowl of soup and piece of bread before they took away the tub.

Half-heartedly, the boy slowly sat and ate the dinner. He was too hungry not to. When the bowl was empty and the bread gone, he left it for someone to take and crawled into the massive bed.

The moonlight shone in the window, high-lighted by the falling snow. Theon rolled away from the light and buried his face in the pillows. This room was nothing like the cozy bed chamber he had slept in back on Pyke.

This place was not home.

Finally, all the tears he had held back during the day sprang to his eyes and the Theon cried himself to sleep. When everything else was gone, he realized, his grief stuck around to comfort him.

 **(1 and 2 are a direct quote from season two, episode ten** _ **Valar Morghulis**_ **. In that episode, Theon tells Maester Luwin this is what he thought when Ned first brought him to Winterfell.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

The next day, Ned was up to his neck with papers. In his absence, his wife had run the household, but now, there was plenty for him to do. Not even war could stop the simplest of tasks in a household.

He was so into his work; he almost didn't hear Maester Lewin come in.

"Maester," Ned said and stood up. "It's good to see you."

The Maester was a small balding man with a chain of different metals around his neck. He had several duties, caring for the sick and injured, educating Ned's children. He was a man of many trades.

"You as well, My lord. But I need to speak with you."

"About?"

Maester Lewin's face contorted. "Theon Greyjoy." He said this like each word was a dagger in his side.

Ned could almost feel his heart drop. "Theon? What about him?"

"My Lord, the boy hasn't even been here a full day yet and he's already starting to cause trouble. He speaks rudely to me and others in your household. Also, he refused to come with Jon and Robb for lessons this morning. And when I went to his bedchamber to fetch him, I found a few objects in there that I'm sure are not his."

This was not good. Ned sat back in his chair and exhaled. He knew the child would have some problems settling into a new home, but he didn't think it would start right away. "Right, we'll nip this disobedience in the bud. I'll speak to him. Where is he?"

"His bedchamber. He refused to come with me."

But when Ned walked up there a few minutes later, he found it empty. The Lord was about to turn away when he noticed the pile of objects that had not been there the night before. Mostly trinkets with no value, but a few that did. A candlestick inlaid with gold. A silk napkin.

The Lord of Winterfell turned these over in his hands before turning back to his servants. "Go find Theon and bring him to me." He ordered.

Two hours later, Ned was getting frustrated. No one could find the boy. Of course, in a place like Winterfell, he could found a small corner to hide in for days. The child would eventually come out, but what if he was hurt or had gotten outside the outer walls?

"Father?" Ned looked down to see his seven-year-old son, Robb standing in front of him. The boy's blue eyes shone with mischief and playfulness. "Maester Lewin said Theon is gone."

"He is," Ned confirmed slowly and then learned down toward him. "Have you or Jon seen him?"

When Robb shook his head, making his curly auburn hair fly, it gave Ned an idea. Maybe he and the rest of searchers were looking in the wrong places. "Go find your brother and see if you two can find him. If you do, come back to me immediately."

Delighted, Robb went off to find his bastard brother.

Ned let out a sight and rubbed his forehead. No one has ever told him hosting a ward would ever be this difficult. Had he and Robert given Jon Arryn this much trouble? He couldn't remember. Once this mess was settled, he'd have to send a raven with an apology note to the capital.

"Keep looking for him. I'll be out in the godswood. I need a few quiet minutes." He said and walked down the stone stairs.

Ten minutes later, Ned strode out into the chilly air. Light snow was softly falling, adding to the piles already on the ground. Spring might be here, but up in the north, winter gripped the harsh lands for much longer.

As Ned entered the serene quiet of the godswood, he got quite a shock. There was Theon; leaning over the pool in front of the great tree. His small face was pointed downward, as if he was trying to see to the bottom. A few more inches and the child would be submerged in the icy water. He hadn't seen Ned yet.

Without another thought, Ned marched over, grabbed the boy's ankle and yanked him away before the ice around the edges broke. "Theon Greyjoy!" Ned bellowed in his best impression of his own father's strict voice. "What are you doing out here?"

Theon looked shocked as fear crept into his expression. "I was trying to see if the Drowned God's are also in pools like this..."

For a moment, Ned just stared at the eight-year-old before he remembered. The Ironborn did not worship The Seven or The Old Gods, they believed in The Drowned Gods, where Heaven was under the sea and mermaids would take care of them forever.

Ned took a deep breath and donned a stern face. The same one he used when he had to deliver discipline to Northerners or any of his children. "Maester Lewin tells me you've been disrespectful to him and others in my household. Also, He found several things in your room."

To his disbelief, Theon just stared back at him with a fierce expression. An almost exact copy of the one Ned had seen on Balon on the Iron Islands, before he bent the knee. "I paid the Iron price for them. They're mine!"

"They are _not_ yours." Ned answered. "You _stole_ them. As long as you live here in Winterfell, there will be _no_ stealing. Do you understand?"

When Theon didn't say anything, Ned reached down and seized his chin. "I asked you a question." He said more forcefully. "Do you understand?"

To the Lord of Winterfell's surprise, the boy broke away from him and collapsed into sobs as tears cascading down his cheeks. "I don't want to live here!" Theon cried. "I hate it here! It's too cold and too far away from the ocean. I don't _want_ to learn a lord's respects and history of the first man. I miss my family, I want to go home!"

Ned stared down at him for several seconds, as the boy sobbed in front of him. He was just about to say something, when he heard a gasp behind him.

"Father!" He turned around to see Jon and Robb behind him. The two of them looked very excited as they pointed at Theon. "I found him, father." Jon announced, his dark grey eyes proud.

This seemed to annoy Robb and he shoved his half-brother. "I found him first."

"No you didn't! I did!"

"Enough, both of you run along." Ned ordered. He waited until the two of them ran off before turning his attention back to the crying boy. "That's enough of that." Ned said gently, kneeling in front of Theon and wiped his tears away. "You're almost a man grown. You're too old to be crying."

When Theon started to calm down, Ned offered him a soft smile. "I'm sorry your homesick, but I understand how you feel. I was a ward once."

The child blinked up at him, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You were?"

"I was. And it was hard at first, but then I got used to it. Like you will."

"I don't want to get used to it." Theon's shoulder sunk and he sniffed. "I want to go home to my family."

"You will, just not today." Ned said and stood up. "Do you understand why you're here?"

The boy screwed up his face. "Because my father bent the knee."

"Yes. Do you know why he did that?"

"He told me, no man ever died from bending his knee. He who kneels may rise again, blade in hand. He who will not kneel stays dead. Stiff legs and all." (1)

This made Ned Stark frown. This has been part of why Robert insisted they take Balon's only surviving son as a ward. To make sure the Ironborn never tried anything again. "That is correct. It was wise of your father to bend the knee. But you're here as my honored guest and ward, so your father doesn't get any more ideas of rebelling."

"Because if he does, you'll cut off my head?" Theon interrupted.

This gave Ned Stark pause.

When he didn't say anything, the boy kept talking, his words smeared against each other as he started to cry again. "I'm not a ward, I'm a hostage until you kill me."

This technically was true. When Ned Stark took the youngest Ironborn, it was for insurance for his father's good behavior. It would be unlikely that Balon Greyjoy would try and do something with his only surviving heir hundreds of leagues away, but if he did…

But as Ned stared down at the frightened child in front of him, he wondered, how do you explain the politics of war such as this to an eight-year-old? Especially when it involves if he lives or dies?

"Calm down," Ned said and patted Theon's back. "I'm not going to kill you. You'll see your family again. I promise. But for now, we need to talk about your behavior. There will be _no_ stealing or disrespectful talk in my home. And that goes for everyone, these rules aren't just for you. If any of my children acted the way you did, they'd be punished as well."

Theon nodded as he swiped at his face, looking like a dog who knew he was about to get a kick.

"I won't thrash you this time," Ned decided. "But if I or anyone catches you stealing again, then I'll be forced to. Understand?"

"Yes, my Lord." The boy muttered,

"Good," Ned ruffled Theon's curly brown hair. As difficult as this could be, he knew this would end well.

The Ironborn were a harsh people who only took and never gave. He had hoped by his fostering Theon Greyjoy here, he could gentle him and install honor and justice while he was still young. So when he returned as heir to the Iron Islands, he might be able to bring change back with him.

A small, stubborn boy of only eight-years-old might be able to shape the entire future of a realm. And it all came back to Ned to make sure it happened.

"Do you understand why you are to be educated along with my children?"

"No..."

"Because you're a lordling." Ned said. "One day, you'll be the Lord of the Iron Islands and you'll need to be well educated. To know the lesser lords sworn to each of the seven great houses. Of the history of the realm, from the Children of the Forrest, to the Age of Heroes, up until when Targaryen's came and reshaped the Seven Kingdoms."

Theon nodded once, but continued to stare sullenly off into the distance. His eyes were hard and blank

Ned turned around to look behind him. "Robb, Jon." When neither of them came forward, the man crossed his arms. "I know you both are still there. Come out."

After a moment, Jon slowly emerged from behind a bush, a guilty look on his face. Robb followed behind him a second later. "Yes, Father?"

"I want you both to do me a favor. There's a few hours before supper. I want you two to play with Theon until then." Ned gave Theon a nudge toward his two sons.

Jon looked surprised, but Robb's face lit up. "Of course, Father." He reached out and grabbed Theon's arm excitedly. "Come on, we'll show you around."

The eight-year-old looked back at Ned, as if he wasn't sure. "I've already seen the castle..." He stuttered.

"They didn't show you everything." Jon said, going to his other side. "We'll show you stuff none of them did."

"Don't get dirty and be on time for dinner." Ned called after them as the three boys started to leave the godswood. Once it was quiet, he cast a look toward the heart tree. Part of him wanted to stay, but the more logical part of him said he should go back inside and tell his household to stop their search for the boy.

Ned sighed and strode out of the godswood and back into the great castle. Who knew having a ward was so difficult.

 **(I was thinking about what Ned would have done if Balon had forced his hand. I personally believe he couldn't have beheaded an innocent child for his father's crimes. But that's just me.**

 **Well, that's it for this story. This was fun and I enjoyed writing Robb, Jon and Theon as kids. I might do it again. Thanks for reading and please R &R)**

 **(3 is a direct quote from the show/book from Balon Greyjoy. Interestingly enough, in the book, he tells it to Asha/Yara, in the extra content for season two, during the history of the Greyjoy Rebellion, Theon says Balon said it to him. Whichever of his kids he told, it's a good quote.)**


End file.
